


It always worked out

by MikazukiMunechika305



Category: Hakuouki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-02 00:09:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5226398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikazukiMunechika305/pseuds/MikazukiMunechika305
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Souji and Saitou come back from a battle....</p>
            </blockquote>





	It always worked out

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I don't want to stop you from reading, but I just wanted to say... I'm sorry if the characters aren't completely ic! This is my first fic in the Hakuouki fandom after all! ^^"

Souji smiles a bitter smile, a smile that doesn’t suit his usual self at all. “Oh come on, Saitou-kun. You know you can’t win alone.”  
“I’m not as bad at fighting as you think I am!” the stoic black-haired man growls. “I could kill you if I wanted to.”  
“You know you couldn’t. We’re at the same level, Saitou-kun. Even if you were able to kill me, you’d die in exactly the same second.”  
Saitou remains quiet. He knows his colleague is right, but his favourite person to fight with is Sanosuke after all. He’s not entirely sure how he will be able to fight without the 10th unit’s captain who can understand him without needing him to say a word. “I... I don’t...”  
“I know. You don’t want to fight without Sano-san.”  
That’s not what Saitou wanted to say, but it matches his current thoughts perfectly.  
“Sorry,” Souji apologizes. “I...”  
“It’s not your fault Sano’s gotten himself injured,” Saitou cuts him off. “So don’t you dare apologizing for that.” He doesn’t feel like this, though. He wants to blame someone for his partner’s injury, and if Souji is taking all the blame himself although he hasn’t even been near Sanosuke when it has happened... The black-haired man sighs. “Okay, I’ll fight together with you. But just so you know, you’re just a substitute for Sano. A very bad substitute for him.”  
“Heh, I’ve never wanted to be anything more,” Souji replies. The words ‘a very bad substitute’ don’t hit him as hard as they were probably meant to, and after a second of hesitating, he decides to make it up: “You don’t love me as much as you love him after all.”  
Saitou doesn’t answer.  
“...Hey, Saitou-kun? Did I say something wrong?” Souji asks worriedly. His plan hasn’t been to make the stoic man angry or sad. “At least say something so I can know if I made you angry or something...”  
“...I’m not angry.”  
“And you’re not sad?”  
“No.”  
“Great,” the brown-haired man sighs in relief. “I was worried, y’know. Just tell me if I say something wrong.”  
“You could stop saying those unnecessary things at all and think a bit more about our strategy.”  
Souji, who is very glad that Saitou isn’t angry at him, just smiles in amusement and does what he is asked to do.

His sword crosses his enemy’s and he struggles to keep standing in his spot.  
Suddenly, there’s a second sword, helping him to stand against the much bigger and stronger man.  
“Saitou-kun,” Souji says in surprise. “I wasn’t...”  
“You’re struggling to stay where you are because he’s so strong,” Saitou mumbles as if he was talking to himself. “Don’t lie to me, Okita Souji.”  
“I’m not—”  
“And don’t—talk!” Saitou jumps back, dragging Souji with him. “We’re in a fight, aren’t we?!”  
That’s a good point, Souji thinks and once again he decides to follow his fellow captain’s order.  
Against all their expectations, the two of them are getting along pretty well. Not as good as Sanosuke and Saitou, of course, but almost as good. Saitou recognizes that he has to change his mind because Souji seems to be a pretty acceptable partner after all.  
And they actually manage to win. Some members of the Shinsengumi have died in the battle, but all of the generals and captains are alive and as fit as someone can be after fighting for a whole day.  
When they get back to the headquarters, Sanosuke is the first one to run outside and greet the other captains. His heart starts beating faster when he doesn’t see Saitou in the first row of men and he wonders if something really bad has happened to his best friend.  
Then, he sees him, being carried by Souji.  
“Hajime!” Sanosuke calls out, running towards his friend. “What happened to him?”  
“Oi...” Souji growls, “Can’t you see he’s asleep?”  
“He’s just...”  
“Well, maybe he’s unconscious as well. But don’t mind, he should be okay. I see your arm is healed?”  
“...Yeah, it is.”  
“So would you mind taking him to his room? I need to have a word with Hijikata-san.”  
“With Hiji—oh, I see. Hand him over, then.” The taller redhead takes his best friend’s motionless body and takes a few steps to the house they’re all living in. “Uhm, Souji, make sure you get a proper treatment after that, okay? ...I don’t want you to die.”  
“Nobody of the Shinsengumi wants me to die,” Souji mumbles, but he can’t help but smile a little.

Sanosuke lays Saitou down on his bed and sits down next to him. “Ah, Hajime... What happened to you, huh? You’re completely useless without me after all.”  
That’s not the truth and Sanosuke knows this, but he likes acting like he was the most important Shinsengumi member.  
The black-haired man coughs quietly. “I’m not... useless... just... more useful if you’re with me.”  
“That’s only another way to put it...—but you’re probably right.” Sanosuke smiles before getting serious again. “You broke your leg, right? Let’s call Chizuru to treat it.”  
“No... I’m fine. It’s not broken; I only sprained my ankle.”  
“Truth?” Sanosuke asks. He already is used to his friend’s behaviour, his habit to lie and to say he’s all fine if it comes to things like illnesses and injuries.  
Saitou sighs, “It’s the truth. Why won’t you believe me?”  
“’cause you always lie if it comes to injuries. I know well enough now, after all these years. So it’s really, honestly only your ankle that’s sprained?”  
“I already told you!”  
“Ah, warui, my bad,” the redhead laughs. “One more question, then I’ll leave this topic aside. Why were you unconscious before?”  
“I wasn’t unconscious. I was sleeping. I even heard you talking to Okita-san. Well, I was half-asleep by then. But I actually went back to sleep when you took me on your back.”  
Sanosuke’s laughter surely is to be heard in at least half of the headquarters, and only seconds after he has calmed down himself, the door to Saitou’s room opens and Souji steps inside.  
“Hey, what are you freakin’ out about?” he asks. “I could hear you three halls away.”  
“Oi, Sano, that’s... well... I... I can just... sleep very well if you carry me on your back...” Saitou mutters, his face red like a tomato.  
Souji grins his wide and happy grin. “Ah, I understand. Ya see, Sano-san, there’s no need to be worried about him. He’s not a man to get knocked down that easily.”  
“You were fighting a whole day!” Sanosuke protests. “And I wasn’t there to protect him!”  
“I’m no that much useless without you!” Saitou calls out, his face getting even redder if this is possible. “I just...!”  
Souji laughs happily. “It’s great to see you two talking like this, y’know? I kinda missed your conversations when you were sick, Sano-san.”  
The two of them can’t help but smile sarcastically. “You actually missed... us talking like this? We can’t believe this, can we, Hajime?”  
“Ah, we probably can’t...” Saitou agrees and Souji rolls his eyes.  
“Come on guys, are you kidding me? Quit it! Just let me take part in your conversation.”  
“I don’t know. Should we, Sano?” the black-haired commander asks teasingly.  
Souji and Sanosuke are the only ones who have ever been allowed to hear him talk in that tone. Also, they are probably the only commanders who have ever seen him smile, and Saitou is very thankful for them not telling anyone about how he behaves when they’re alone in his room.  
Sanosuke smiles his beautiful smile that expresses his happiness and suggests, “Let’s just get some rest together, what do ya think? After you’ve fought for such a long time...”  
“It was only a day,” Saitou corrects him, “that’s not that long, you know. But it’s fine by me.”  
Souji hops onto his bed, curling himself up next to his stoic friend. “Come here, Sano-san.”  
“Isn’t that... a bit...”  
“We’ve done this numerous times before, right? And it always worked out.”  
He’s right. They’ve been laying on Saitou’s bed, sometimes clinging to each other, cuddling, sometimes as far from each other as possible, countless times before, and there’s always been enough space for the three of them.  
Sanosuke lays down on Saitou’s left, putting his arm around the black-haired man’s waist. “You’re right. It always worked out.”


End file.
